Article packaging wrapper



Nov. 25, 1958 M. E. FRASCH 2,861,680

ARTICLE PACKAGING WRAPPER Filed Oct. 15, 1955 INVENTOR Z5 jllaryl East-k 5 I ATTORNEY United States Patent ARTICLE PACKAGING WRAPPER Mary E. Frasch, Columbus, Ohio Application October 13, 1955, Serial No. 540,268 1 Claim Cl. 206-56) This invention relates to an improved article-packaging wrapper and has particuflar reference to a wrapper formed from a substantially rectangular blank composed of thin flexible material, which is folded upon itself to form article-receiving and confining pockets.

In the wrapping and packaging of many flat articles, such as sheets, towels, handkerchiefs, pillow cases and the like, it is customary in stores carrying such articles to use conventional wrapping or packaging materials, such as ordinary wrapping paper, tissue paper or cardboard or paperboard boxes. Sometimes the packages are gift wrapped With the use of fanciful paper and ornamental tying ribbon. Usually, gift-wrapped packages hear an additional charge which many customers do not desire to pay and conventionally wrapped packages or parcels are often unsatisfactory to customers because of their plain utilitarian appearance.

It is an outstanding object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive but eflicient wrapper for articles of the general character set forth and one which may be quickly and conveniently applied to the articles or goods to be protected or covered thereby, the wrapper when secured in its final form serving to produce a package which, while securely holding the articles contained therein, will present such an attractive external appearance as to enable the same to function as an inexpensive gift wrapping and in replacement of the usual paperboard box.

Another object is to provide a wrapping for various fabric household articles or articles of wearing apparel and the like, wherein the wrapping comprises a folio body formed from a single rectangular sheet of thin, flexible material, the sheet being folded centrally and longitudinally upon itself to provide upper and lower panels which are joined together centrally and transversely of the folio to produce on each side of the folio body and between the panels thereof an article-receiving pocket open along two of its outer edges and closed along its remaining edges, the folio body so formed lending itself readily to the placement of articles in the pockets thereof and, thereafter, the further folding of marginal portions of the body to close the open edges of the pockets in the secure retention of articles therein.

For a further understanding of the invention, including additional objects, advantages and novel constructional features of my improved packaging wrapper, reference may be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view disclosing the folio body of the wrapper when it is formed from a rectangular sheet of thin flexible material and primarily folded in providing article-receiving pockets;

Fig. 2 is a similar view disclosing the folio body of the wrapper when longitudinally folded along one side thereof in closing the open longitudinal edge regions of the pockets;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the wrapper disclosing the manner in which the end portions'of the folio body 2,861,680 Patented Nov. 25, 1958' are folded in closing the corresponding portions of the pockets;

Fig. 4 is a similar view disclosing the wrapper when folded and united by a tying tape in its completed package-providing form; 1

Fig. 5 is an edge elevational view of thepackage;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through the completed package on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detail fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a pocketed article wrapper which, in the single embodiment thereof illustrated in the drawings, is composed of a substantially square sheet of a suitable thin sheet material. Depending upon the service to which the wrapper is to be placed, appearance and cost considerations, the specific material from which the wrapper may be formed are numerous and varied. For example, in its most generally used form, the wrapper is composed of various presently available commercial types of wrapping paper now generally used in retail stores in such capacities in a plain or design-bearing form, either opaque, translucent or transparent. If desired, the sheet may comprise a woven fabric, a thin metallic foil or in the form of a clear or colored plastic film.

' Such materials are cut or blanked to produce the square or rectangular sheet which maybe marginally hemmed if desired. The sheet, as shown in Fig. 1, is folded upon itself along the longitudinal edge or fold line 10 to form aligned, overlapping, top and bottom panels 11 and 12,

respectively. These panels are suitably united transversely' and centrally thereof as by the spaced, parallel rows of stitching shown at 13, by the use of adhesives, or other suitable means, whereby the top and bottom panels are joined over a comparatively wide linear area 14 which extends substantially perpendicularly with respect to the folded or closed longitudinal edge 10 of the sheet, forming a folio body. The latter includes, as a result of such formation, oppositely disposed foldable leaves or sections as formed by the panels 11 and 12. Each leaf provides an article-receiving and confining pocket 15 of rectangular formation. Each pocket is closed along two sides: first, by the longitudinal edge 10 and, second, by the securing means producing the linear area 14, and is open on its two remaining edges, as indicated by the open longitudinal edge 16 and the outer end edge 17.

The flat folio body thus formed is supplied commercially to stores, and other users, for the wrapping of various articles, preferably articles which possess, or are capable of assuming, a flat orderly form when so packaged. For example, the pockets in the folio body are adapted to receive such articles as' folded bed sheets, pillow cases, hand and bath towels, handkerchiefs, lingerie, mens shirts, dried or glazed fruit, candy on or off trays or other holders, and generally any articles which readily lend themselves when placed in said pockets to the formation of a flat package of substantially square or rectangular formation, as shown at 18 in Fig. 4.

Following the placing of desired articles in the pockets 15, the folio body, as shown in Fig. 2, is folded longitudinally along the line 19 to provide an overlapping strip region 20 which extends the full length of said body and closes the open longitudinal edges 16 of the pockets therein. When the body is folded, the open end edges 17 of the pockets are closed by, first, inwardly folding the corner portions of the opposite ends of the body along diagonally extending lines 21 to produce the triangular flaps shown at 22 in Fig. 3. Thereafter, the end extensions 23 of the body, containing the flaps 22, are folded about transverse lines 24 to overlie the article-containing portions of the body and the entire package thus formed is closed by folding the two separate article-containing portions longitudinally upon one another along the lines provided by the stitching 13, and made secure by the use of a tying cord or tape 25.

1 Such a cord or tape maybe secured against transverse displacement from the wrapper sheet, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, by passing the latter through one of several loops provided by a tape or ribbon 26 stitched to the outer portions of the area 14 along spaced lines 26a. The tape 26, as shown in Fig. 7, may carry an indicia-receiving tag 27 upon which the diiferent articles contained in the completed package may be listed for ready visual identification.

In instances Where it is desired to package only one article, or to use only one of the article-receiving pockets 15 of the present wrapper, the opposite orempty'pocket 15 may be filledor'stufied with paper or other filler material, not 's'hown,'in order that the completed package containing only"onearticlemay-retain its desired booklike appearance.

In view of the foregoing, it will be evident that the present invention provides an improved, structurally simple, neat and attractive article-packaging and storing wrapper for many different kinds of articles,'enabling such articles to be rapidly and neatly confined in a readily formed container. The package costs but a little more than ordinary wrapping paper, but saves time and clerical costs in the formation of the completed package and eliminates the ordinary rigid and more expensive paperboard boxes. In addition, my improved package offers the customers of retail stores a package superior in strength and appearance to one of conventional wrapping. In most. instances the customer is saved the cost and delay incident to the formation of so-called gift-wrapped packages and is provided with a package which from an appearance standpoint is in every Way comparable to the gift-wrapped box. Articles wrapped in accordance with the present invention lend themselves readily to be stored 4 away neatly in closets, or drawers, or placed compactly in-lnggage during travel.

I claim:

A plural compartment package comprising a single, relatively thin, rectangular sheet of flexible material folded longitudinally upon itself and defining a pair of relatively overlying panels of equal area having outer free longitudinal side edges disposed in registry with one another; means extending transversely and centrally of said panels and joining the latter to one another along a median transverse areaof substantial width, the areas of said panels extending longitudinally outwardly from said median transverse area defining therebetween a pair of separate pockets an article positioned in each of said pockets, said panels being folded longitudinally upon themselves a distance inwardly from their free longitudinal side edges to close said pockets about said articles along the sides of said panels opposite the longitudinal foldline. of said sheet, and saidpanels being transversely folded upon themselves a "distance inwardly fromeach end thereof to close said pockets about said articles at the ends of said panels opposite said median transverse area and being additionally'folded centrally along a pair of relatively spaced transverse lines contiguous to the edges of said median transverse area to bring said pockets and the articles positioned therein into adjacent superposed relation; and tie means for maintaining said panels in their aforesaid folded condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent .UNITED STATES PATENTS 245,422 Weed Aug. 9, 1881 942,420 Swett Dec. 7, 1909 951,814 Hay Mar. 15, 1910 1,017,006 Lee Feb. 13, '1912 1,174,593 McClurg Mar, 7, 1 916 1,912,963 Blum June 6,1933 

